1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for mounting a fixture to an electric box in a ceiling. More particularly, the present invention relates to a detachable two-piece canopy, for mounting an exit sign to the ceiling, which is usable so that one piece of the canopy is mounted to the ceiling while the second piece of the canopy is mounted to the exit sign with provisions to separately depend from the ceiling mounted piece while the electrical connections are made.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the context of commercial office buildings and other types of commercial buildings there is generally a large number of exit signs and other lighting fixtures that require installation during construction. In this environment, the prior art one-piece canopy would, prior to installation to the ceiling fixture, be fastened to the exit sign housing using a screw or bolt type fastener. The wires of the exit sign are pulled through an appropriate opening in the canopy into the interior of the canopy. A ceiling fixture plate is attached to the electrical outlet box in the ceiling using a fastener and the ceiling wires are pulled through a hole in the ceiling fixture plate. Typically, exit signs in these environments are installed with great difficulty in that the installer must stand on a ladder and with one arm elevate an exit sign with a single piece canopy attached thereto and then with the remaining free hand attempt to attach the electrical wiring prior to securely mounting the sign to a standard ceiling fixture plate mounted in the ceiling.
Exit signs, however, are relatively heavy because they have a battery back-up which can continue to light the exit sign after the power to the exit sign is cut off. Since the exit sign is so heavy and because a one-piece canopy is used, one person must connect the exit sign to the ceiling at great risk of injury, i.e., falling from the ladder or accidentally dropping the fixture in an effort to maintain balance on the ladder. Alternatively, the exit sign may be set on a convenient surface, i.e., the top of the ladder, providing the ceiling wires and/or exit fixture wires are sufficiently long to permit this procedure. Once the wires are connected, they are folded and set inside of the canopy and the canopy is then connected to the ceiling fixture plate in the ceiling from which the exit sign will suspend.
Thus, the above-mentioned prior art canopy for exit signs requires either a balancing act by the installer, an extra person to hold the exit sign, or a surface near the ceiling on which to set the exit sign while the wires of the exit sign and the ceiling wires are being spliced together. Thus, the prior art canopy used on exit signs is not cost effective to install because the installation is not safety conscious and it is time consuming and burdensome. Further, the same disadvantages are experienced each time any maintenance is performed on an exit sign using the prior art canopy.
To avoid these disadvantages, some solutions have been developed for mounting fixtures to a ceiling or wall. Many of these improvements are directed to the desirability of providing a means for mounting a light fixture without the aid of a second person.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,803 to Hunt is an example of an assembly and method for mounting a mercury vapor floodlight fixture to a bracket in the ceiling. Hunt discloses a double-ended hook member that has one end connected to a hole in a bracket connected to the ceiling, and the other end of the hook connected to a hole in the side of the flood light fixture housing so that the housing may be suspended from the bracket member while the electrical connections are made. However, after the electrical connections are made the hook must be removed before the fixture can be guided onto the ceiling bracket and attached thereto. Also, unless a fixture and ceiling bracket have a hole to accommodate the end of the hook, this solution cannot be used.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,368,506, to Rapp; 4,300,190, to Mershon; and 4,222,093, to Garcia, et al, teach devices that can be used to mount a lighting fixture to a ceiling or wall and will provide a means for suspending the lighting fixture in an open position while the wires are being connected. However, in each case special ceiling brackets must be used to accommodate the features of the invention and such brackets are expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,506 to Rapp teaches the use of a base connected to the ceiling and a bracket mounted to a luminaire. Rapp discloses that the bracket has a pair of upwardly extending members which are adapted to mount to side portions which are connected to the base. The upwardly extending members have a complex arrangement of slots which are adapted to receive posts which are connected to the base. The slots are aligned in a novel arrangement to provide a means for hanging the luminaire while the electrical connections are being made, and to then provide a means for supporting the luminaire while in a closed position. Thus, Rapp teaches a novel arrangement of slots and associated posts in order to achieve its primary object of hanging a luminaire from a bracket while the electrical connections are being made. However, Rapp's solution is very expensive to manufacture and is unsightly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,093, to Garcia et al., teaches a quick connect and detach light fixture which includes a back plate adapted to be secured to a wall and a fixture supporting plate, preferably by means of an opening associated with the back plate and a corresponding complemental pivot pin secured to the fixture supporting plate. This combination is expensive to manufacture and could result in the fixture accidentally unhooking from the back plate while the wires are electrically connected.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,190, to Mershon, teaches a special purpose T-shaped bracket which is attached to the intended mounting surface. A mating plate designed to engage the T-shaped bracket attaches to the lighting fixture. The T-shaped bracket permits the fixture to hang therefrom while the electrical connections are being made. Note, however, that the need for a special T-shaped bracket and associated plate makes this solution expensive and impossible to adapt to the current standard ceiling fixture plates that are used in industry today.
The above-referenced patents disclose devices for use in mounting a light fixture to a ceiling or wall. However, they all differ markedly from the present invention. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,803 to Hunt merely teaches the use of a thin piece of wire, a double-ended hook member, inserted into holes in a bracket and the fixture and used to suspend the fixture from the bracket; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,506 to Rapp teaches the use of a three-slot mounting system to achieve its desired object. Further, the above devices do not provide a large amount of security and safety for these types of apparatuses. In particular, the prior art devices are either very complicated and expensive to manufacture or unsafe because they do not completely conceal the wires or they are difficult to use because they require a large amount of manipulation. Accordingly, what is needed is a canopy which is adapted to be mounted to the present ceiling plate, is inexpensive to manufacture, and provides for safe installation of an exit sign to a ceiling plate.